The Technical Services Core will provide support crucial to all research projects. The core is comprised of facilities and personnel for electronics, machine shop and computing services. These facilities will assure the smooth operation of the scientific programs through assistance on design, troubleshooting and maintenance, and product procurements. The Core Director will serve as the faculty supervisor for this Technical Services Core. His duties include direct supervision and evaluation of shop personnel, resolution of job priority issues, and assisting in solving technical problems. The computing services will include supervising project computer activities, serving as the system administrator for the Novell computer network used by the laboratories and research cores. Also, serving as a clearinghouse for software acquisition and upgrades, troubleshooting software problems, and working closely with the Electronics Shop to resolve problems with the computer hardware and to develop and enhance computing capabilities. The electronics services include engineering assistance on both digital and analog electronics, mechanical design, acoustic measurements and calibration, troubleshooting and maintenance, instrument design, and product procurements for the entire laboratory and core needs. The machine shop will work with the Electronics Shop on joint projects, on design and construction of new and custom-made equipment not available from commercial sources, and on the maintenance and modification of existing equipment in laboratories and research cores supported by the Core Center. These on-site facilities have proven to be extremely valuable in allowing interactions between core staff and investigators to make modifications to devices and applications to optimize them for the research application. Procedures are in place for scheduling and prioritization of services and quality control. The members of the Technical Services Core will participate in regular meetings, discussing advances in technology and needs of research projects.